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‘There’s No Going Back’: Former WBC Cruiserweight Champion Makes An Honest Confession About His Fascination For Golf

Published 07/04/2023, 9:52 AM EDT

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Golf is not an easy game, and it certainly breeds patience. WBC World Champion, Tony Bellew, has learned it the hard way and he refuses to give up. The Bomber, as he is fondly known in the boxing community and the world, loves to play golf.

The serenity of the sport and the mental acuity required for calculated gameplay is what drives the former Boxing GOAT. After conquering the physical sport of boxing, he has completely lost himself in pursuing a set goal in golf.

Tony Bellew is mesmerized by golf

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Coming from a harsh neighborhood, the WBC Cruiserweight Champion of the World always thought golf is a “rich man’s sport.” The lack of awareness of the sport in the tough streets where he grew up around Toxeth and Wavertree was one of the reasons he never had the good fortune of playing. “We certainly weren’t that [rich]” he told Golf Monthly.

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For a long time, Bellew was under pressure to just make ends meet. His decision to become a boxer stemmed from his desire to live a good life despite his tough early years. He wanted to channel his aggression into the sport, and that made him the man we know; 30 wins out of the 34 matches in which he appeared.

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But now, he wants to settle down and focus on his mind, working on keeping himself calm. Golf is just the answer he was seeking. Golf Monthly shared his exclusive on their Instagram.

 

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“I will not stop until I get a single-figure handicap,” he declared with determination. And we know that the Bomber did not win his way to the top by giving up. he will accomplish this feat, and he’s prepared for it. He described the feeling of watching the golf ball fly from the impact of his club and into the sky, straight like a boxer’s punch as, “So pure you don’t feel the connection.”

His social media is a testament to the satisfaction he feels from playing golf. “Golf is probably the biggest mental battle I’ve come across, it’s right up there with boxing,” he admitted.

At first, he was nervous, much like many who pick up a golf club for the first time. But a gentle encouragement from his buddy Jim Payne, head professional at Southport and Ainsdale, helped control his nerves. He took a swing and was immediately hooked on golf. It brought satisfaction more than anything else.

via Getty

Now, the former WBC World is totally invested in the sport. He followed the example of his compadre, Leon Osman, and invested in an electric trolley costing 150 Pounds. He didn’t want to but when his wife, Rachel, called him ‘A mingebag,’ the champion boxer went for it. “I’m fully invested now,” says he. “There’s no going back. “I’ve got the bag, I’ve got the best gear going, I’ve got the trolley. There’s a chance that if I never got that trolley I could have thrown my clubs in the lake. The trolley can’t go – that cost an absolute fortune.”

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Bellew is all-in and wants younger generations to have what he didn’t

To this day, he remembers his struggles in the early stages of his career. Hence, he is very careful with his bag and his clubs, never destroying anything in a fit of temper. He plays golf because it keeps him calm and steady. Much like many pro athletes who took to the sport for its serenity, such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and more, Bellew wishes to play as much as possible and master the mind along with the game.

“I’ve never broken a club,” he proudly shared. “Never thrown one” or “attacked a tree.”  He finds that golf provides him with equanimity and wishes that the community would reach out to the youth in less-popular areas, and offer them free games. The Bomber recognizes the value that golf can have on a kid from a rough neighborhood.

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What do you think of the WBC CruiserWeight World Champion’s golf game? Share your thoughts with us below.

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Written by:

Enashree Chakraborty

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Enashree Chakraborty is a golf writer at EssentiallySports. She demonstrates her love for research and storytelling in her exceptionally structured pieces. Even in her early days, Enashree has displayed an impressive ability to cover golf with gripping and insightful stories backed by thorough research.
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Edited by:

Prateek Srivastava

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